Out of the Twilight
by Lady Evenstar
Summary: The age of the Mazoku and the Gods is rapidly coming to an end as the old systems decay and two new heroes set out on the path of adventure...Delia and Domani Metallium, along with thier new friends, Rosie Gabriev and Cambria Greywards. Has some X/F.
1. Prologue

Prologue…  
  
The forest path was lit by an eerie orange glow from the light of the burning village not a mile away. The trees, though thick and dense, were not enough to filter out the smoke burning the girl's lungs as she fled.  
  
Utterly exhausted, she dropped to her knees and cradled her two bawling infants to her breast.  
  
"Shush, little ones, be quiet or they'll find us!" she whispered to them desperately. She flicked her gaze nervously around the path, and saw red and yellow eyes surrounding her, glinting evilly through the trees. The malice in them frightened her. Shuddering, she huddled closer to the ground, trying to sink out of their field of vision. "Shush!" she pleaded.  
  
"Fi-chan," a low voice behind her growled. Filia nearly wept, but whether from relief or annoyance she couldn't tell.  
  
"Stupid Namagomi!" she cried, forgetting caution in her ardor. "Look what…"  
  
"Be quiet!" Xelloss ordered, crouching down behind her and sliding a hand over her mouth. The two stayed frozen there together for what seemed like an eternity, then Xelloss stood and helped Filia to her feet. He took the male infant from her arms, to help lighten her burden. The child immediately stopped crying and reached its chubby arms out to him, giggling with delight. "They've gone," he said solemnly, panning the forest with a sharp-eyed gaze.  
  
"What just happened?" Filia asked in an irked tone, as if it had been all Xelloss's fault that she and her children had been chased (which of course it was, in her opinion. Everything bad was the namagomi's fault.) She shifted the female restlessly in her arms. "Why did they attack us?"  
  
The usual maniacally happy one immediately replaced the solemn look, as Xelloss reached out a hand and grabbed her wrist. "Let's go somewhere more private to talk, love, shall we?" Filia didn't even have the time to yell at Xelloss for calling her "love" before she was swept off in a flash of darkness along with him.  
  
They re-materialized in a cave, located right by a running stream. It was morning here, and the sun peeked through enchanting rainbow-colored leaves to make patterns on the forest floor.  
  
"Good. We're safe. Juu-ou-sama doesn't have presence here," said Xelloss, sitting cross-legged on the floor and making faces at the child. The baby thought this was hysterically funny, and his childish laugh echoed off the cavern walls. "See, he likes me, why don't you Filia?" he asked in a mock- wounded voice.  
  
"Because I know better," she commented dryly. "What are you doing here?"  
  
"I should really ask you that. After all, I *did* bring you here."  
  
"You know what I mean, Xelloss," she growled at him. He really was insufferable. "Does this have something to do with the attack?"  
  
Xelloss's mood changed abruptly again, as it was prone to do, and he looked seriously up at her through amethyst eyes. "Yes. They want the children, Filia. They know."  
  
"Who knows?"  
  
"Juu-ou-sama. And the other mazoku. But then again, I should have guessed. There was no way that she didn't find out about the frequent visits I was making," he glanced up at her slyly and threw her a wink.  
  
She rolled her eyes at him. "Really," she sighed. But oh, how she remembered those visits. Those nights when they had gotten along perfectly, when passion was the rule of the hour. Of course, there was a price to happiness, which lay peacefully in her arms right now.  
  
"In fact, I think she did not interfere because she *wanted* this to happen," he said, indicating the children with a nod of his head. "They are incredibly powerful. They posses the power of both the mazoku and the gods. If they could be twisted to obey her, or Kai-ou or Ha-ou…woe to the world."  
  
"But that won't happen, will it?" she pressed him suspiciously.  
  
"Of course not. They are my children too," he said, "you should trust me in this matter. Really, Filia. I am not so bad as to sell out my own to someone who wishes them harm."  
  
"Sometimes, I don't know about that."  
  
Xelloss sighed dramatically. "Fine. Believe what you want. But you should be safe here. No one knows of this place except you, and me."  
  
"Live here!!!" cried Filia. "You've got to be kidding me! Priestesses don't live in caves."  
  
With a flick of his hand, Xelloss made the cave into a palace fit for a king. "Is that okay? Or don't Priestesses live in mansions either?"  
  
Filia pointedly ignored the sarcasm in the mazoku's voice and surveyed the scene with an imperial air. "Yes, it's fine."  
  
"Good. Well, I have business to take care of, so…" Xellos said, foisting the child into her arms.  
  
"Wait. Could you do me another favor?"  
  
"Honestly. You are just as bad as Juu-ou-sama. Fine."  
  
"Jillas and…"  
  
"Your lackeys?"  
  
"Yes. I lost them in the attack…they took Val with them. Could you find them and bring them here?"  
  
"Your wish is my command," he said with a flourish and a bow.  
  
Then he disappeared and re-appeared directly in front of her, his forehead pressed to hers. She jumped and clutched her children closer to her. "I hate it when you do that!"  
  
Xelloss chuckled. "I know. But you didn't think I'd let you go without a goodbye kiss, did you?"  
  
And with that he pressed his lips to hers. The bond between them sparked and glowed, and the familiar feeling of oneness that Filia always felt while he was with her returned. She had wondered if it was always like that between dragons when they mated, or if it was unique to she and Xelloss. Either way, when they were like this it was almost as if they could read each other's minds. All the stress from the past month since the twins were born, all the death threats, the fear, and the attack that evening, all melted away and seemed worth it when she was in his arms. She'd sacrifice everything for him. She loved him. And she knew that, in his own way, Xelloss loved her too, and would give everything to protect her. Then, there were also those times when they'd annoy the hell out of each other. The relationship between them was at the best hard to describe, but it was there.  
  
Now they had these two new beings to protect. Beings that it seemed the whole world was after at the moment. There was no doubt in her mind why…she had had visions, while she was pregnant, of mighty figures with graceful dragons wings floating high in a blood-red sky, releasing bursts of dark and white light simultaneously, while mazoku and gods alike trembled at their feet. In their hands solely rested the salvation or the destruction of the world.  
  
It was hard to believe that these two tiny babies were those same figures of her visions. They looked so …innocent. They boy, with his large purple eyes and blond hair, and the girl, with her wild purple hair and blue eyes, could charm even the most ardent baby-hater. So how could it be that they were the ultimate power in the universe?  
  
"You can be cute and powerful at the same time," murmured Xelloss, pulling away from their kiss.  
  
"Oh Xelloss!" she cried, tears filling her eyes. "They're so helpless! I don't want anything to happen to them! They're *my* children…prophecy or no!"  
  
"I know. And nothing *will* happen to them, you have my word."  
  
"But how will you keep them from Juu-ou?"  
  
"That," he said with a wink "is a secret. Don't worry, Fi-chan."  
  
Then he vanished, for good.  
  
*****************  
  
The years passed before Filia's eyes, and an attack was still forthcoming. It seemed that, for once, Xelloss was as good as his word.  
  
*****************  
  
Glossary, for those of you who don't know some of the words I used (but most of you probably do):  
  
Namagomi- Raw Garbage (Filia's pet name for Xelloss ^-^)  
  
Juu-ou-sama- Lord Beastmaster, or Zelas, Xelloss's master  
  
Kai-ou- Deep Sea Dolphin, one of the remaining Mazoku Lords (reportedly crazy)  
  
Ha-ou- Dynast, one of the remaining Mazoku lords  
  
Mazoku- If I have to explain this word to you, you should do more slayers research!  
  
A/N: My first steps into the Slayers fanfiction world! Yay! I'm so happy! So didja like it? Lemme know what you think, I'm a total review junkie! ^-^  
  
Oh yea, disclaimer: I don't own Slayers, so don't sue me, cause ya won't get much anyways ^-^; 


	2. Chapter 1: Kidnapped!

Disclaimer: I don't own Slayers, an' if I did, then I'm sure I wouldn't be writing this right now…  
  
Also, before we start, I'd like to send out BIG HUGS to you guys who reviewed my fic! Thank you!  
  
//-Mean thoughts, or thought-speak  
  
Delia stared wistfully at her reflection in the clear mountain stream winding its way through the forest. Long, dark violet hair hung in curly strands over her shoulder to kiss the surface of the water, framing a pale delicate face and large blue eyes that sparkled with mischief. On an impulse, she reached out her hand and trailed her fingers through the image, distorting it into thousands of splinters of light.  
  
"It's so *boring* here," she sighed to herself, shifting into a cross- legged position on the riverbank.  
  
"Delia!" her mother's voice echoed out of the large house behind her. "Dinner! Get your brother for me?"  
  
"Hai, Mama."  
  
Her brother was swimming a little ways downstream. His shoulder length blond hair clung wetly to his body as he performed the free-stroke against the current. He had no clothes on, Delia noticed disapprovingly.  
  
"Hey, baka! Domani!" she yelled at him, aiming a stone to bounce perfectly off his head.  
  
"Ow!" he cried, gripping his injured skull. "Whatcha do that for?"  
  
"You think you would have enough decency to at least wear underwear. I don't want to see that!"  
  
"You walk around in wet underwear, then. Is that all you have to say?"  
  
Delia expertly dodged the flare arrow he sent her way. "It's dinner."  
  
"Fine. I'll be there in a second."  
  
Delia muttered to herself about insufferable brothers as she made her way through the huge antechamber into the dining room.  
  
Her mother was sitting at the table, sipping at her tea. A young man with turquoise hair stood next to her.  
  
"Val!" she shrieked happily, disappearing from the doorway and re-appearing in front of him to throw her arms about his neck. "You're here!"  
  
She and her brother had spent most of their childhood playing with Val. He had been the same age as them, and they had gotten along rather well (when Delia and Domani weren't blasting poor Val or tying him to trees or that sort of thing). But as soon as they were of age, Val had left to travel, and Domani and Delia were left behind. He stopped by now only once and a while, to visit. They were some of Delia's favorite days. Val would sit with them for hours and regale them with tales of sorcerers and swordsmen, and thieves and secret lost treasures. It was the only connection they had to the outside world.  
  
Domani rolled his amethyst eyes at her as he walked into the dining room, rubbing at his head with a towel. He always accused her of having a crush on Val, and whenever she showed any affection for him Domani would make sure to point it out for her. The idea was utterly ridiculous, though. Of course she didn't have a crush on Val.  
  
"So what've you been up to recently?" Delia asked as they sat down to the dinner table. Tonight, they were having chicken, her favorite. It wasn't as if any of them really *needed* to eat, it was just sort of tradition that they did.  
  
"A lot," answered Val. "The world's going through some major changes right now. They came out with a more advanced gun, and every bandit in the country has got hold of one of them. It's been a major job just trying to keep them down. Oh! But there's also this new form of energy out now- its called 'electricity'. It creates artificial light, powers stoves and heaters, and there's even this invention- a telegraph, I think it's called- that sends messages over long distances in a matter of minutes, that runs on electricity."  
  
"And it's not magic?" Domani asked eagerly. He was into inventions and that sort of stuff.  
  
"No, just anyone can use it. They're installing it in towns all over the world now."  
  
"That's amazing," he sighed appreciatively, ripping off a chunk of chicken with his teeth from a drumstick.  
  
"You know what would be more interesting? If we could actually go see it." Delia said.  
  
"Delia, we've been over this before," Filia sighed.  
  
"Mother, we're sixteen years old! I think we're old enough to take care of ourselves now!"  
  
"It's not a question of that, darling, I told you. There are some very powerful people out there that would love to get their hands on you two!"  
  
"What, the Mazoku? Dad's a Mazoku, and we're half-Mazoku. They're not that bad!"  
  
"You don't know half of the things your father is all about. And the people who are after you are a lot more powerful- and probably more twisted- than he is."  
  
"Dad's not twisted," Domani commented. Filia sent him a scathing look.  
  
"All Mazoku are. Remember that. And you better hope that you never run into one of them."  
  
"So what, are you just gonna keep us locked up here the rest of our lives!?" Delia shouted.  
  
"If I have to, then yes," Filia answered, rising from her seat and raising her voice a bit. "I just don't want to see you get hurt!"  
  
"Your mother's right," Val commented quietly.  
  
"Now you're taking her side?!" Delia said, jumping from her seat and over to the doorway. "I don't believe this!" And with that, she disappeared from the room up to her bedroom.  
  
Domani rose slowly from his own seat and said calmly "You know, mother, she has a point. You can't keep us here forever." Then he, too, disappeared.  
  
"They have a lot of their Father in them," Val commented with a wry smile. "Especially Delia."  
  
"No, I think Domani is more like him. Delia just likes to yell, like me. In any case," sighed Filia, dropping her head on top of her folded arms on the table, "that's what I'm afraid of."  
  
*****************  
  
After sulking for a bit, Delia had calmed down enough to get ready for bed and go to sleep. She had slept soundly, until she woke suddenly in the middle of the night. And saw two hulking outlines silhouetted in the moonlight streaming in from her window. But before she had even time to react, she felt the prick of a needle on her arm, and the blackness took her.  
  
*****************  
  
Delia's vision blurred as she slowly opened her eyes. A mossy stone ceiling zoomed first in, then out of focus, until she forced herself to concentrate and got her line of sight under control.  
  
"Where am I?" her voice echoed off the cavern-like walls. The sound of running water reached her ears, like that of the stream, only much louder and more rhythmic. She struggled uncertainly to her feet, and wobbled over to a narrow window in the thick stone wall. The sight that met her nearly made her collapse again. She was so high up! Probably in a tower of some sort. But perhaps more amazing was all she could see, for miles, was water!  
  
"The sea," she gasped. Val had told her about it once. She had never seen it. Which meant that, since she could see it now, she was probably very far away from home.  
  
Home. Her mother was probably worried sick by now. All her life, she had wanted to adventure, but now that she was away, she found that all she wanted to do was go back. The tower was cold, and she was alone. Shivering, she sat down on the floor and tucked her knees under her chin. What was she to do?  
  
/Delia?/ Her brother's voice was like a life line in the back of her mind.  
  
/Domani! Oh, Domani, I'm trapped, and we're so far away from home, we're probably in trouble, the Mazoku have got us…/  
  
/Calm down, Delia! Are you in a tower of some sort?/  
  
/Yes./  
  
/I am too. We're probably next to each other./  
  
/What are we going to do? Nothing like this has ever happened to us!/  
  
/Well, beat the hell out of those kidnappers, for one thing. But first, we should get out of here./  
  
/Genius, brother. I know that already! How?/  
  
/The traditional way. Blow down the walls. Let's both cast a fireball on the count of three. 1…2…/  
  
"FIREBALL!" Delia shouted at the top of her lungs. The simple spell was amplified by the power that her mixed deity blood gave her, and with Domani casting the same spell beside her the tower didn't stand a chance. It went up in a mushroom cloud of smoke and rubble, and she was falling swiftly…until she unfurled her graceful golden wings, and sped away from the wreckage with a few swift strokes. Domani was right beside her, his purple wings carrying him out over the sea.  
  
"Look how big it is!" he half-thought, half-shouted at her, referring to the sea. His long forked tail was flicking happily back and forth.  
  
"Yes, it is amazing, isn't it?" she answered him, grateful for her wings that carried her away over the beautiful entity. She and Domani weren't full- blooded dragons as their mother was, so they didn't transform fully into a dragon. But they still had the wings, and the tail, while retaining a humanoid body. Hers were golden, like her mother's, but Domani's were purple. She guessed the abnormal coloring (because all the Ryuzoku were either golden, or a deep blue, her mother had told her) came from their father.  
  
Domani stopped to hover, looking back in the direction they had come, and she had to pull up short in order not to hit him. "There's a town back there," he said.  
  
She turned to look. Indeed, there was a town- a bustling seaport that sprawled out along the horizon.  
  
"Let's go explore, shall we?" Domani said.  
  
"No, we should try to get home. Mother's probably worried sick about us. And what if our kidnappers are still there?"  
  
"Aw, come on, Delia. Weren't you the one raving about leaving yesterday? If we go back, Mom'll make us stay."  
  
"Yes, but the conditions were different…."  
  
"Oh, the conditions were different," Domani said in a mocking tone. "You're just chicken."  
  
"What? No I'm not!"  
  
"Chicken!" he laughed.  
  
Enraged, Delia sped off toward the town in order to beat Domani to it. Chicken. As if.  
  
Soon, they landed on the beach along the shoreline, and transformed back to their normal forms. The people sitting there were gawking at them, their mouths hanging wide open. "What're you looking at?" she said huffily, flicking her hair behind her shoulder.  
  
They made their way up the beach toward the seaport, and soon the people lost interest in them.  
  
/There's so many of them!/ She thought at Domani.  
  
/Yes, and look at the little ones!/ he answered, pointing at a bunch of chibi-humans playing with a beach ball.  
  
/I think they're children,/ she thought at him, proud of her knowledgeability.  
  
It was their turn to gawk as they walked the seaport. Never had they seen so many people in one place, or seen shops or boats, since they had been isolated all their life. Now the places described in Val's stories and on maps became reality for them.  
  
Two humans sitting at a table near a place that sold food caught their attention. One was slight, with pink hair cropped short and bright red eyes. She was dressed in tight fitting red clothes and had a headband sparkling with jewels on, along with a sweeping black cloak. The other was taller and rather exotic looking. She had long lavender hair pulled back in a plait and deep blue eyes. Light blue swirls made patterns around her eyes, lips, and chin, and over her hands. She was dressed in creamy white.  
  
"I dunno, Rosie, I can't figure it out," the lavender-haired one was saying. She was studying a map written on ancient parchment.  
  
"Here, let me see," the pink-haired one, Rosie, said imperiously. "You obviously didn't inherit your father's genes, since you can't figure *this* out," she said, while studying the map.  
  
"Yeah, and you obviously *did* inherit yours 'cause you can't either," said the lavender-haired one flippantly, resting her chin on her palm. "Well?"  
  
"You're right," Rosie said, annoyance plain in her voice. "And after we paid so much money for this!"  
  
"May I see it?" Domani surprised Delia by addressing the girls, holding out a hand to receive the map.  
  
"Sure. The more heads the better," said Rosie, handing the map to him. Domani took it and studied it for a moment, then laid it flat on the table so that the girls could see it.  
  
"I understand," he said. "See? This here is the border of Zephilia," he traced his finger along the map. "It says if you start there, then travel through Mane by the specified route, you should find…whatever it is you're looking for."  
  
"Yeah, he's right!" cried lavender, snatching up the map.  
  
"Hey, you're pretty good, mister," said Rosie. "Ya wanna come with us? We could use your help."  
  
Domani glanced at Delia. A silent agreement passed between the two of them…they would go.  
  
"Hey, is she your girlfriend or something?" Rosie said quizzically, studying Delia.  
  
"My sister, actually," said Domani.  
  
"Oh. Well, she can come too…if she wants to."  
  
"I'd love to," said Delia. "We both would. But…what exactly are we doing?"  
  
"Oh! Yeah right. We're looking for a secret lost treasure. It was buried during the War of the Monster's Fall, and it's supposed to possess extraordinary powers. My name is Roseanna Gabriev, and this is Cambria Greywards."  
  
"Nice to meet you," said Cambria, smiling up at them.  
  
"You certainly are trusting, giving away personal information to complete strangers," said Domani, amusement coloring his voice.  
  
"Well, it's really not that personal. And besides, if you were any threat to us, we could blast you into a million pieces anyway."  
  
"Charming," Domani said on an aside to Delia. But she wasn't listening. Something about those names…  
  
"Wait a second!" exclaimed Delia. "Gabriev, as in Gourry Gabriev?"  
  
"Yeah, he was my father," said Rosie, giving her a strange look.  
  
"And Zelgadiss Greywards was yours!"  
  
"Yeah…" said Cambria, looking at her equally as strange, as if she had grown a second nose or something.  
  
"My mother's told me about them!"  
  
"My name is Domani Metallium," said Domani in a conciliatory tone, "and this is Delia Metallium. I think our parents know each other. Our mother Filia always used to tell us stories about them."  
  
"Oh! Metallium…as in Xelloss Metallium, that crazy mazoku? Yeah, I know who he is, he visits us every now and then. Hey! We have more in common than we thought. We'll make a good team!"  
  
Rosie held her hand out, palm downward, and Cambria placed hers on top of Rosie's. Delia, catching on, placed her hand on top of Cambria's, and then Domani finished the pile.  
  
"Here's to secret lost treasures," said Cambria with a small smile.  
  
"You said it Bree!" cried Rosie throwing her hands up in the air. "This'll be a piece of cake."  
  
"Only," said Bree, looking at Delia and Domani, "you might want to buy yourselves a different outfit before we start."  
  
Delia looked down at herself and immediately she could feel her cheeks growing hot. "Oh," she said softly. She still had her nightgown on from last night, and Domani still had his pajamas on. They had been walking around town dressed in their nightclothes! /How embarrassing./  
  
"It's a long story," said Domani with a smile. "Where can we buy them? We're new around here."  
  
"I know this great clothes store," Bree smiled, standing up and taking both of their elbows. "And we might be able to get a discount, since the owner likes me."  
  
"*Everyone* likes you, Bree." Rosie said with a sigh, rolling up the map and shoving it down her shirt. "They say she's exotic looking."  
  
"Yeah, what's with the blue stuff?" Delia asked curiously.  
  
Bree shrugged. "I'm half chimera."  
  
And so the four set off for the clothes store, chattering happily and anticipating the journey to come. Little did they know, they had started one of the greatest endeavors ever in history since their parents had taken up the road.  
  
A/N: Whew! *Wipes sweat off brow* That was a long one, wasn't it? There wasn't much about the characters we all know and love in this one, but don't worry, we'll be seeing a lot of them later! (Including Lina going through her midlife crisis =P) Don't forget to review, I'd love to hear what you think about the new characters. Any suggestions? Comments? Just click the little button on the bottom of the screen! Luvya'll! 


	3. Chapter 2: Intrigues

Disclaimer:  
  
Do I really have to do this?  
  
Domani: Unless you want to get sued….  
  
Fine. *Sigh* Slayers does not belong to me, no matter how many fantasies I might have! However, your a** does, as well as Delia's, Bree's, and Rosie's. Got that, Domani? Now that we've got that cleared up, on with the story…  
  
Filia stretched languorously as she rose from bed, greeting the new day happily.  
  
Despite the niggling feeling in the back of her mind that something was terribly wrong.  
  
She began the day as she normally would… getting the pottery wheel ready (she still made pottery even though her shop had perished in the attack those sixteen years ago), making tea, attending to various chores that needed to be done. She found herself wishing that Jillas and Gravos were still here…they made housework a lot easier to deal with. Soon enough, though, the living room was cleaned, the kitchen sparkling, and her little garden out front growing perfectly.  
  
But it was noon, and she still had not seen head nor tail of her children.  
  
"Domani! Delia!" she called up the steps. No answer was forthcoming.  
  
Quelling her nervousness, she stomped up the steps, ready to bite their heads off for sleeping so late. She checked Domani's room first- no one was there. It was the same case for Delia.  
  
The whole house went under extensive investigation, as well as the surrounding area. They were nowhere to be found.  
  
Filia made her way back up to Delia's room, and studied it carefully. There was no sign of any kind of scuffle. The bed was empty, but the sheets were rumpled as if some one had been sleeping there.  
  
Val had left this morning. Maybe they followed him? Or maybe, feeling restless, they had decided to go exploring the island a little more extensively.  
  
Filia walked over to the open window and shut it, leaning against it and flicking her tail back and forth, deep in thought.  
  
They couldn't have been kidnapped- no one knew that they were here. But then, Jillas and Gravos did, and Val and Xelloss…but she was sure that none of them would betray her. Would they?  
  
Filia started. Delia's pajamas…were nowhere in sight. She usually flung them off and rushed outside, leaving them in a heap on the floor. And the window…the window had been open. Delia never slept with it open.  
  
Filia clapped a hand to her mouth, panic taking hold of her. Oh, L-sama! They had taken them- had taken her children!  
  
A shout downstairs broke her from her reveries.  
  
"Filia! Domani! Delia!"  
  
It was Xelloss.  
  
Filia shot down the steps and tackled him, burying her face in his shoulder.  
  
"Fi-chan! What's wrong?" His voice barely disguised tenseness, as if he feared what she was going to say next.  
  
"They're gone!" she managed to choke out.  
  
He didn't ask whom. He didn't have to. Instead, he let loose a string of violent curses.  
  
"You mean, you knew this was going to happen?" she cried, shoving him away.  
  
"Yes, but only since early this morning. I- received an anonymous tip. I was hoping I'd make it here before they came for them. Obviously, I'm too late."  
  
Filia was too upset to be mad at him. "Who-who took them?"  
  
"Ha-ou," he said simply. "His minions, I suppose- Grau, and Grou. Damnit," he cursed again "I could've taken them."  
  
Filia reached unconsciously for her mace, chest heaving. She'd teach them. She'd teach them to take her children away from her.  
  
"My my, Filia," said Xelloss in a teasing manner, "you should learn to keep that temper of yours better. They're not here, you know."  
  
Filia smashed him with it. It made her feel better, and she came to an abrupt decision.  
  
"We're leaving," she announced, and stomped out of the door.  
  
Xelloss followed her with a grimace, rubbing his injured skull. "Genius," he muttered.  
  
*****************  
  
Delia and Domani were foraging happily through the clothing store's stock, receiving various comments and criticisms from their friends.  
  
"Delia- what about this one? I think it's pretty," said Rosie, lifting a simple white dress, accented at the sleeves and hem with pearls and gold embroidery. "Cheap, too."  
  
Delia reached out for the dress, and the world swam away and was replaced by an entirely different scene. She was standing in the middle of an ancient shrine, preparing her faithful followers and shrine-maidens for battle, knowing deep in her heart that they were doomed. She kept up the pretense of victory for their sake, unwilling for them to be disappointed in their leader. The face of Ruby-eye Shabrinigdo loomed in front of her, and then all was dark.  
  
Delia threw the dress away from herself, clutching at her heart. She had the ability to see visions of events that were sometimes imprinted upon inanimate objects, both evil and good. Memories, in a way, that haunted them.  
  
"What's wrong?" gasped Rosie, catching Delia's arm and half-supporting her.  
  
"That dress-it's foul."  
  
"Foul…it looks fine to me…"  
  
"I think Delia's got the right idea, Rosie," said Bree, sauntering up and lifting the dress from the floor with one finger, a look of disgust plain on her face. "This dress," she elaborated, "was once the frock of the great high priestess of Mane. The shrine maidens of Mane served Flare Dragon Ceiphied, and were actually very powerful according to legend, until they were destroyed by Shabrinigdo."  
  
"Oh, wow. How'd you know all that?" Rosie asked.  
  
"My mother used to be a shrine maiden. She told me about them, and she actually showed me a dress once, one that she picked up at the market of Saillune. That one was just plain white, but she said the high priestess's was decorated with gold and pearls. In any case, she said it was unjust to sell the clothes of the dead, and she had it burned." Bree bought the dress, in order to do just the same.  
  
"Actually," said a strange voice behind her, "I think this dress would suit you better."  
  
Delia turned slowly to see a rather strange- garbed man holding up a deep purple shift. Immediately, she sensed danger- it was rolling off of him in waves.  
  
"Who are you?" her brother demanded, who had appeared suddenly at Delia's side. Rosie and Bree stood warily beside the two of them.  
  
The man laughed. "Who am I? You don't remember?" He morphed suddenly into one of the same hulking figures that Delia had seen in her room bathed in moonlight, the night of the kidnapping. In daylight, she thought he rather resembled an abominable snow monster.  
  
"Now do you know me?" he demanded, his voice suddenly deep and booming. "My name is Grou, priest of Ha-ou-sama. You are mine."  
  
He released a burst of energy at them- ice, that froze whatever was in its path. The four friends scattered quickly.  
  
"Damu Bras!" cried Bree. The powerful spell hit the monster, and he staggered backward, collapsing onto the ground.  
  
Domani rushed forward. "Darkness beyond twilight, crimson beyond blood that flows, buried in the sands of time is where your power grows. I pledge myself to conquer all the foes who stand before the mighty gift bestowed in my unworthy hand. Dragon slave!"  
  
Grou either was dissolved by the power of the spell, or was thrown away, but either way he disappeared from sight.  
  
"I didn't know anyone besides my mother could cast such a spell!" cried Rosie.  
  
Domani blushed and shrugged. "It's rather easy for us, isn't it Delia?"  
  
Delia nodded. /That was one of the men that kidnapped us,/ she thought at him.  
  
/I know. But hopefully, he'll be off our trail for a while./  
  
*****************  
  
It was cold. That was one of the first things Zelas noticed. It was cold, and it smelled horrible- her lupine nature pointed that out immediately for her. What she wouldn't give to be back in her cozy den, enjoying a cigarette. Ah, well. One had to sacrifice some things to get what one wanted.  
  
She flicked her long blond hair behind her shoulder and scanned the great hall with sharp red eyes. Some might call it beautiful. It was carved entirely out of ice, which sparkled in the sun. Even the furniture was made of ice. But they had an abundance of that in the North Pole, she thought, so it wasn't really impractical.  
  
One of Ha-ou's minions led her to an opaque icy door, and opened it with graceful bow and wave inside. She walked past him without acknowledgement and made her way up to the throne. There sat the appearance of a young man of around twenty, with shoulder-length dark hair tied back into a ponytail and eyes the color of his surroundings- a lovely, clear blue. "Ha-ou," she said with a stiff bow of greeting. "You are certainly looking well."  
  
"As are you, Juu-ou," he said with an incline of his head. The woman who stood in front of him could tempt any human man- she was curvaceous, though slight, with golden hair that fell to the middle of her back and ruby eyes. Twin red stripes decorated each cheek. "It has been a while, Juu-ou. I'm surprised you decided to put in an appearance yourself, instead of sending your servant."  
  
"Let's just say that there are certain matters that should be discussed between us face to face…"  
  
Before Juu-ou could finish her sentence, the door behind them was flung open and one of Ha-ou's priests staggered in. He looked very horrible, as if he had just come from some sort of terrible fight. "Ha-ou-sama!" he cried. "We kidnapped the two ryu-mazoku as you wished but…"  
  
Juu-ou smiled grimly in her mind. So, her theory was correct. Ha-ou was going after her servant's children.  
  
"Silence!" roared Ha-ou, though a bit too late. "We shall discuss such matters privately later on! Go, and get yourself cleaned up." The servant looked suitably chagrined and shuffled out of the doorway.  
  
"Oh, Ha-ou, Ha -ou," she cooed, a derogatory smile fixed on her face as she walked up and perched on the arm of his chair, "how very predictable you are. In all of these years that I have known you, you have not changed once. I guessed that you would want the ryu-mazoku. I even knew that you had their location."  
  
Ha-ou looked displeased. "You have not changed either Juu-ou. How did you know?"  
  
"My servant could no longer find the ryuzoku's little friends. So, I thought to myself, who would want them? Then, it came to me. Of course, Ha- ou would. Because he could torture them and get the ryu-mazoku's location from them. Oh, so predictable."  
  
Ha- ou waved his hand lazily and Zelas flew from her seat beside the throne and fell in a heap on the floor in front of him. Metal bars sizzling with energy made a cage around her.  
  
"My, how rude! Is this always how you treat your guests?"  
  
Ha-ou laughed. "No, just rather annoying ones such as yourself. You were always the only one who could keep up with me intellectually Juu-ou," he said, tapping his temple, "you and Kai-ou, before you drove her insane. But this time I was a step ahead of you. You want them just the same as I do, Juu-ou, it only follows that you would be keeping up on such matters. I figured that you would come to visit me sometime soon, so I had this cage specially made for you."  
  
Juu-ou snarled at him, too enraged to keep up her appearance. She transformed into her true form, and attacked the cage savagely, but to no avail. She then changed into a wolf, and attempted to slip through the bars, but that also did not work.  
  
"Fine," she sighed, "you win this round."  
  
"Thank you," he grinned, kneeling in front of her entrapment. "Now, seeing as how this is most undignified, I will let you go on one condition."  
  
It was Zelas's turn to smile. "You want to know how to control the ryu- mazoku."  
  
"Yes."  
  
"I'll be damned if you get that information from me."  
  
"Fine, then I will keep you in your cage."  
  
"Do you think I really care?" Zelas grinned. Now she had the upper hand. "I am not human, I do not need anything to sustain me. I could live just fine in here. I will feed off the negative emotions that *you* give me every time you come in here to question me, growing more and more agitated each time you leave with no information. You also know that torture will not work on me- we mazoku enjoy it."  
  
"What if I have a sappy little girl come in here and preach to you?"  
  
Juu-ou shook her head. "The secret is mine to keep, Ha-ou, and that is the hole in your plan."  
  
Ha-ou's expression was unreadable as he said, "Then it seems we are at a stalemate."  
  
"Yes, so it does. But just as in a stalemate no one wins or looses, so it is in a partnership. Except this time, we both might profit. So, what do you say?"  
  
Ha-ou waved his hand again and the cage was gone. He stood and helped her to her feet. "As long as neither of us has an alternative propaganda, then it just might work."  
  
"I have none," said Juu-ou, "the whole purpose of my coming here today was to enlist your help. I need you. And what of yourself?"  
  
"None," said Dynast, shaking his head. He extended his hand, and she took it. "Here's to a beautiful partnership," he said.  
  
*****************  
  
Domani, Delia, Rosie, and Bree left the seaport as soon as they could, and hit the road for Saillune. They had come to the agreement that they needed some counsel after the recent happenings, and since Saillune was the closest place that they could get it, that was where they were headed.  
  
Cambria was happy to be heading home. As much as she liked to adventure, she missed her parents and her hometown dearly.  
  
Of course, she'd never admit that. She had to keep up appearances, after all.  
  
"Delia," she called out to her new friend. "That looks really good on you!"  
  
Delia blushed and straightened her shirt needlessly. It was a purple tunic, embroidered with golden flowers around the hem. She had on plain white pants and knee-high black boots. "Thank you," she said.  
  
"You, too, Domani," she commented. He turned and gave her a dashing smile. His golden hair was tied back into a ponytail, and a dark strip of cloth that wound around his forehead held it in place. He had on a plain golden shirt to match his hair and black pants that hung loosely over ankle high brown boots.  
  
"And it was a wonderful buy, too, so that makes me happy," smiled Cambria. Her two favorite things in the whole world were a) shopping, and b) adventuring. Even if that did mean she had to be away from home.  
  
Rosie elbowed her. "Happy to be going home?" she asked.  
  
"Well…yeah," she admitted.  
  
Rosie grinned. "I'll race you," she called. "Last one over the hill is a filthy mazoku!" She giggled and shot off ahead of the other three, leaving them tripping over themselves to catch up.  
  
A/N: That's it for chapter three! I'm so happy…I got to write about Zelas! The mazoku hierarchy is really fun to play with- they're my favorite subject to write on. Can ya tell?  
  
Well, don't forget to drop a review! Luvya! 


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